For Those Who Have A Clear Bra (on your car only)

6669 Views 17 Replies 13 Participants Last post by cmptpad, Jan 30, 2015

bondguy

Discussion Starter · Jun 10, 2011

I heard that there is a cleaner that is supposed to be great for the clear bra and helps protect it while it's protecting your car. It is call "Plexus"...like Lexus with a P in front of the name (nothing to do with Lexus...a lot of boat supply stores sell it...I ordered it on Amazon.com for about $12. Will use it and report how well it works when I get it.

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is250ct200h

· #2 · Jun 10, 2011 (Edited)

bondguy said:
I heard that there is a cleaner that is supposed to be great for the clear bra and helps protect it while it's protecting your car. It is call "Plexus"...like Lexus with a P in front of the name (nothing to do with Lexus...a lot of boat supply stores sell it...I ordered it on Amazon.com for about $12. Will use it and report how well it works when I get it.

i've also read that you should wax it or treat it just the same way as the rest of the paint, but stay away from colored wax as it can stain the film.
The most damaging thing to the film that causes yellowing are the uv rays.
i think using the spray/liquid wax would be easier instead of the solid wax around the edges so there is minimal build up which will make where the film ends more apparent.

jimmyc13

· #3 · Jun 10, 2011

Good to know Bondguy, I did not know that. Let us know how it works out for you, makes sense, maybe I'll order some too.

LexusGuy

· #4 · Jun 10, 2011

That's what I use on mine. Works great !!

bondguy

Discussion Starter · #5 · Jun 10, 2011

jimmyc13 said:
Good to know Bondguy, I did not know that. Let us know how it works out for you, makes sense, maybe I'll order some too.

Jimmy...that is also what the lady at Autobahnd shop recommended too...just make sure when you clean with anything, don't do it in the hot sun...just like if you were going to wax the car...always do it in the shade and if you have been driving the car for awhile, let the hood cool down before you wax it or apply Plexus to the bra.

GreatDane

· #6 · Jun 14, 2011

Are you talking the "Paint protection film" option? We decided to go without when we noticed that the all cars with the Paint protection film in the showroom had collected a line of grit along/under each edge. Maybe their installer did a bad job on every vehicle... We didn't want it to happen to us!

bondguy

Discussion Starter · #7 · Jun 14, 2011

GreatDane said:
Are you talking the "Paint protection film" option? We decided to go without when we noticed that the all cars with the Paint protection film in the showroom had collected a line of grit along/under each edge. Maybe their installer did a bad job on every vehicle... We didn't want it to happen to us!

A little line of grit will come off...bug stains, tar stains or chips won't...it's live with it or repaint it in that case. I like the fact that even if there get a little spot on the film, the film can be taken off and redone (even if I have to repay to have that part done over)....to me, the tradeoff for protecting the paint was a no brainer. Would I have spent the list price for it...probably not...they wanted like $700 for it installed. You can buy the kit for about $230 and do it yourself but I had them do it for me and it cost me about $400-$500 dollars (I can't remember now).

Hey Gurl

· #8 · Jun 15, 2011

Bond Guy: I never leave home without my clear bra...or the other one either! haha

acwwat

· #9 · Mar 4, 2012

Hi bondguy, sorry to bring up this old thread, but I will be applying a clear bra on my new CT200h when I get it in three weeks and would like to know how well the Plexus cleaner worked for you. If you are still active on the forum please comment, thanks!

emejay

· #10 · Mar 4, 2012

I am also considering a clear bra, but I have no first hand experience with them.

I assume small rock chips will be prevented?
Is it easy to remove in several years fs it starts loooking ratty?
Will it start looking ratty in a few years?

rdalemercer

· #11 · Mar 4, 2012

I had one on my 2010 Prius and now on the CT20h also. Won't have another car without it. It saved the hood on the Prius a few times and is well worth the money spent. The "Grit line" - as you called it - will wash off. I did not use any special protectant or polish other than the normal waxing. The Hybrid Highlander that I had prior to the 2010 Prius had the clear "bug shield" (stand-off plastic shield) that installed with the hood and was effective in preventing bug/rock chips but also reducted the MPG due to increased drag, so the clear bra the best for bugs and rocks without impacting your efficiency....

acwwat

· #12 · Mar 5, 2012

rdalemercer said:
I had one on my 2010 Prius and now on the CT20h also. Won't have another car without it. It saved the hood on the Prius a few times and is well worth the money spent. The "Grit line" - as you called it - will wash off. I did not use any special protectant or polish other than the normal waxing. The Hybrid Highlander that I had prior to the 2010 Prius had the clear "bug shield" (stand-off plastic shield) that installed with the hood and was effective in preventing bug/rock chips but also reducted the MPG due to increased drag, so the clear bra the best for bugs and rocks without impacting your efficiency....

Thanks rdalemercer for sharing your experience. Just wondering - how much film did you apply on your cars? The general recommendation seems to be on the front 1/3 portion of the hood and the little adjacent fender area on both sides, but I was wondering if that is sufficient protection.

I think I'll have to be careful with the Mother's Sealer & Glaze that I own from my to-be-traded-in Civic, that stuff is yellow in color and I wouldn't want anything yellow near the clear film

rdalemercer

· #13 · Mar 5, 2012

acwwat said:
Thanks rdalemercer for sharing your experience. Just wondering - how much film did you apply on your cars? The general recommendation seems to be on the front 1/3 portion of the hood and the little adjacent fender area on both sides, but I was wondering if that is sufficient protection.

I think I'll have to be careful with the Mother's Sealer & Glaze that I own from my to-be-traded-in Civic, that stuff is yellow in color and I wouldn't want anything yellow near the clear film

My Clear Bra covers the front part of the hood and wraps down both fenders. I had it installed by Lexus as a PIO (Port installed Option) when I purchased the CT200h. I have seen other companies offer similar products (and they *may* be good prodcuts) -- but my thinking was that if anything happened to the paint (due to the clear bra or the clear bra itself, that Lexus was more likely to stand behind their own product -- plus the price point was equal if not a bit better that the pricing from local shops.

pardo

· #14 · Mar 5, 2012

Premier sells a clear bra cleaner. Works for me.

Premier Formula One Products

acwwat

· #15 · Mar 5, 2012

rdalemercer said:
My Clear Bra covers the front part of the hood and wraps down both fenders. I had it installed by Lexus as a PIO (Port installed Option) when I purchased the CT200h. I have seen other companies offer similar products (and they *may* be good prodcuts) -- but my thinking was that if anything happened to the paint (due to the clear bra or the clear bra itself, that Lexus was more likely to stand behind their own product -- plus the price point was equal if not a bit better that the pricing from local shops.

Hmmm interesting regarding clear bra PIO - it seems that my dealership only offers the clear bra as a dealer add-on. Then again Lexus Canada is 1/10 the size of Lexus US and those of us north of the border get the worst selection of accessories and add-ons, so I wouldn't be surprised if it's not available here. The dealership charges about $100 more than a reputable local shop that pretty much does tint and clear bra for dealerships in the area (including Mercedes and BMW), so I am going for the latter. There is only one choice of film (3M).

Joe166

· #16 · Mar 5, 2012

That thin line of dirt is from idiots who don't remember to apply "wax" from the shield up toward the painted surface. If you do it the other way, the wax residue (and the dirt if you are washing your car) get under the edge, but that is hardly the end of the world. You can remove both wax residue and dirt if it were to get on the line by using a cleaner wax and if it is really bad, using a soft toothbrush to apply the cleaner wax on the edge and wiping it down.

It saves a lot of chips, it is not hard to remove but remember to remove it before it starts yellowing and crazing because then it becomes impossible to remove except with a heat gun and tweezers and will cost you more to remove than the installation. I learned my lesson the hard way on another car. Won't happen again. If you get the Lexus bra, with the Lexus guarantee, you are way ahead of the game. I discovered the error of my ways just at the end of the guarantee but the company that installed my film was out of business. I don't think Lexus will be going under before I do.

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gerryman

· #17 · Mar 6, 2012 (Edited)

Just wanted to add my input on the clearbra. Got mine installed on my new CT just a couple days after picking it up, went with venture shield from a tint shop that also specializes in paint protection. They didn't give any advice on anything special to use to clean it and just mentioned to wash and wax like normal. Took a trip out of town over the weekend and got lots of bugs and nasty stuff on the front end. I've been trying out the Meguiars wash and wax anywhere spray and it worked great on the shield as well as the rest of the car. Spray got all the bugs off and cleaned everything up like new. I'll be using it to clean the car in between washes and anytime bugs and other stuff come around. Interested to hear about the Plexus as well.

cmptpad

· #18 · Jan 30, 2015

It's our money so please do whatever pleases us... I've used "Turtle Wax Car Wash" to wash my car and it performs beautifully. Now I just wax my car maybe 2 times a yr and use the Turtle wax car wash in between... most of the times it's on sales at Pepboys for less than $5

https://www.turtlewax.com/products/originals

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